Portable wiper for gauge rods



Sept. 14, 1965 F. BIRTZER PORTABLE WIPER FOR GAUGE RODS Filed Oct. 11, 1963 m K m E T N m m VT m g B C W N a O m L United States. Patent 3,205,525 PORTABLE WIIER FUR GAUGE RODS Loren F. Birtzer, 314 Columbia Ave., Mondovi, Wis. Filed (Pct. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 315,623 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-210) This invention relates to a novel portable wiper for gauge rods, such as automobile dip sticks or rods.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive, more practical, and more easily used and more compact device of the kind indicated, especially, but not exclusively devised for use by gasoline service station attendants, and the like, and adapted to be carried like a fountain pen, and which eliminates the expense of providing special paper or rags and of laundering the rags, and which eliminates also accumulation of oil on the attendants hands and the transfer of oil therefrom or from oily rags, to Windshields and other parts of automobiles intended to be wiped clean.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, which comprises an elongated, normally vertical container for oil wiped off gauge rods or sticks, the upper end of the container being closed by a compressible and absorbent plug, which is formed with a closed slot, through which a gauge rod or stick is adapted to be passed, for wiping, the container being flexible to provide for squeezing of the upper part thereof, at the ends of the slot, for opening the slot for reception of a rod or stick, and for emptying the container of oil accumulated therein, the container being provided with a pocket clip for easy carrying of the device when not in use.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view of said device showing the plug slot closed;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the device being squeezed, the plug slot open, and a gauge rod or dip stick inserted through the slot;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises an elongated cylindrical container 10, of flexible and resilient material such as plastic, and preferably transparent to show the amount of oil accumulated in the container. The container has a sidewall 12, a bottom wall 14, and having an open upper end 16. At the upper end 16 the sidewall 12 has an upper internal annular head 18, which is preferably rounded, as shown in FIGURE 3, and which is spaced upwardly from a similar lower internal head 20 on the sidewall 12, so as to define an annular seat 22, involving these beads and the intervening part of the sidewall, for a wiping plug 24. A pocket clip 26 is provided to enable carrying the device internally or externally on a pocket or other part of the attendants clothing.

The plug 24 is a solid circular disc of resilient absorbent material, such as felt or the like, which is larger in diameter than the openings of the beads 18 and 2t) and slightly thicker than the distance between the beads, so that when the plug is forced into the seat 22, the plug is under tension and has sealing engagement with the beads and the container sidewall 12 therebetween.

The plug 24 is formed with a diametrical closed slot 28, which is normally closed, as shown in FIGURE 2, to prevent escape of oil from the container 10.

In order to use the device for wiping a gauge rod or dip-stick 30, the upper end of the container 10, and hence the plug 24, are squeezed, at the ends of the plug slot 28, as shown in FIGURES 4 to 6, so that the slot is opened widely enough to enable the passage of the rod or stick therethrough and into the container below the plug 24, as indicated in FIGURES 4 and 6, whereupon the rod or stick is withdrawn upwardly. This wipes oil from the stick, as shown in FIGURE 3, which falls into the container and accumulates at the bottom thereof, as indicated at 0, so that when the stick is withdrawn from the device, the stick is clean and its gauge marks 32 are easily visible for a crankcase or oil storage tank level check.

It is to be observed that the plug slot 28 close immediately upon withdrawal of the dip stick, so that oil accumulated in the container 10 cannot escape past the plug 24, and that the plug readily absorbs any oil spilled thereon in the act of inserting the stick through the plug slot 28, so that the exterior of the device remains clean and risk of soiling the attendants hands and clothing is eliminated.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable wiper for gauge rods, consisting of an elongated cylindrical container having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and an open upper end, said sidewall being flexible and resilient, vertically spaced internal annular beads on the sidewall adjacent said upper end, defining with the part of the sidewall between the beads an annular seat, and a circular compressible and resilient a bsorbent plug forced into the seat under tension and in sealing contact with the beads and the sidewall, said plug having a normally closed diametrical slot adapted to be opened to pass a gauge rod into the container by squeezing the sidewall at the ends of the slot.

2. A portable wiper for gauge rods consisting of an elongated container having an open end, a closed end, and a sidewall, a plug of resilient and absorbent material secured in place within the container adjacent to its open end, said pug being formed with a normally closed slot formed crosswise therein and extending to the ends of the plug, said sidewall having a portion surrounding and engaged with the plug which is resilient and flexible and is adapted to be squeezed to open the plug slot to admit a gauge rod through the slot, said container sidewall at its open end having an outer internal annular bead and an inner internal annular bead on said side wall and spaced from the outer head, said plug being compressed and engaged with the sidewall betwen the outer and inner beads.

3. A portable wiper for gauge rods consisting of an elongated cylindrical container having a bottom wall, a

3 j 4 1 sidewall, and an open upper end, said sidewall being I v I References Cited by the Examiner flexible and resilient, vertically sgaced internal annular v 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS, beads on the sidewall ad acent szud upper end, defining with the part of the sidewall between the beads an an- 435,069 3/90 MacLachlan 15543 nular seat, and a circular compressible and resilient ab- 5 1,839,026 12/31 Gray et 15 '210'2 sorbent plug forced into the seat under tension and in 2234558 3/41 Huston 15 543 sealing contact with the beads and the sidewall, said 2279320 4/42 Huston plug having a normally closed diametrical slot adapted to FOREIGN PATENTS be opened .to pass a gauge rod into the container by 710 077 54 Great Britain squeezing the sidewall at the ends of the slot, said con- 1 tainer being of transparent plastic. WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE WIPER FOR GAUGE RODS, CONSISTING OF AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A SIDEWALL, AND AN OPEN END, SAID SIDEWALL BEING FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT, VERTICALLY SPACED INTERNAL ANNULAR BEADS ON THE SIDEWALL ADJACENT SAID UPPER END, DEFINING WITH THE PART OF THE SIDEWALL BETWEEN THE BEADS AN ANNULAR SEAT, AND A CIRCULAR COMPRESSIBLE AND RESILIENT ABSORBENT PLUG FORCED INTO THE SEAT UNDER TENSION AND IN SEALING CONTACTING WITH THE BEADS AND THE SIDEWALL, SAID PLUG HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED DIAMETRICAL SLOT ADAPTED TO 